Take Care of Me
by tvtan
Summary: Quinn is with Rachel when she get's pregnant with Puck's baby. "You think you feel your heart break when the girl with the huge voice sounds so tiny as she says, "You're having Puck's baby."" Rachel/Quinn


**A/N **- **So the idea for this story seems so obvious I'm struggling to believe no one's written in yet...I've not seen one so apologies if anyone has. It's all angsty, so much so that I'm tempted to write a fluffy/smutty second part. Hope you enjoy it, anyway.**

"Puck, I'm pregnant."

You're at the edge of the football field, alone after both of your practices let out.

He blinks, "Is it...mine?"

You roll your eyes, "I know you cut biology a lot Puck, but it's really unlikely to be Rachel's."

He refuses to be deterred, "Are you keeping it?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," he breathes out, "Wow."

xxx

You haven't told her yet but you're going to have to, and probably soon, but for now you've got her in the bathroom before Glee practice and she's giggling and pulling away and you keep pulling her back in, so you can keep her like this, a little while longer. Your guts clench as you kiss her again.

When you make it to Glee there are jeers, "Hey they finally made it!" and "Did you get that video for me this time?". Mr Schue clears his throat uncomfortably and Rachel squeezes your hand and gives that smile that means she loves you before she treats everyone to a speech about the importance of a healthy diet in the lead-up to sectionals, and your guts clench and clench and clench.

xxx

When you get back to her house that night, you almost let her push you back on to the bed, almost let her finish what you started in the bathroom. Instead you sit her on the chair and move back several feet and just say it.

"I'm pregnant."

Her mouth opens, and then closes again.

"We had that stupid fight...and then Puck got me drunk at that party and...it was...I just..."

You're rambling and crying and she's just looking at you, and you think you feel your heart break when the girl with the huge voice sounds so tiny as she says, "You're having Puck's baby."

xxx

You try to call her, most days, but she doesn't pick up, and you don't really blame her.

xxx

You corner Puck by his locker one day, shoving a bill to his chest.

"You need to get a job, and help me pay for some of this, medical care isn't cheap."

He looks like he's about to say something but you interrupt, "And I mean a real job, not cleaning pools for married women."

He sighs and looks down at the paper in his hands, his brow furrowing when he sees the numbers, "Okay, okay I'll try."

He pauses, almost looks nervous, "So since Berry dumped you, maybe we should you know, take a shot at being real parents."

You're confused for a moment until you get his implication, "You mean, you want us to be together?"

You almost laugh at him.

xxx

Ten minutes later, when you're crying in the bathroom, the door swings open and you hastily try to wipe the tears from your face, stopping when you see that it's Rachel.

Her hands clasped in front of her, she says, "I think he's in love with you."

For lack of anything better to say, you reply, "What makes you think that?"

"He just punched three lockers and has probably broken his hand."

You sigh, "Rachel, I..."

She's looking down at her hands though, and saying quickly, "I can sympathise with him. It's always difficult to find out the person you love doesn't love you."

Then she's gone.

xxx

The next day you find an envelope slipped inside your locker, containing a cheque for a sizeable sum of money. There's no name, but there's no mistaking that gold star.

You text her:

-_Where'd you get all that money?_

-_I don't know what you're talking about._

_-There was a gold star on the envelope._

_-I'm not the only person who can go to the grocery store and buy a pack of stickers, Quinn_.

It's not until late that night, when you're lying staring at the ceiling, that your phone buzzes again.

-_I still want to take care of you, even though I shouldn't._

You feel like you should worry more about what you're going to do when the baby's born, what your parents will do, what Sue Sylvester will do. All you can worry about is her.

xxx

When you're kicked off the Cheerio's, thanks to that kid whose name you don't know but you used to giggle at with Rachel when he tried to clumsily flirt with her, and Ms. Sylvester looks disappointed, and Brittany hugs you and even Santana gives you a sympathetic look, you hand in your uniform without complaint. A few months ago this would have given you more time to spend with her.

xxx

Kurt is applying your mascara in the girls bathroom while Mercedes reads a magazine when he says, "What none of us can understand, is why you would do that to Rachel. Don't get me wrong, we all find her intolerable but you two..." he trails off, unable to find the words.

"You two seemed so solid," Mercedes picks up, "We all thought you'd be forever."

Your tears ruining the mascara Kurt has so painstakingly applied, all you can do is whisper, "Me too."

xxx

When you get kicked out of your house, and you don't know how your parents found out, but Sue Sylvester springs to mind, you go to live with Puck. He seems unsure on the idea, and so are you. You want to cry when you see the look on Rachel's face when you arrive at school together, but she still doesn't answer your calls, and has stopped texting you back.

Puck doesn't help by flashing the sonogram in Glee practice, and you know he makes sure Rachel sees.

xxx

That weekend, it's almost ten when you hear Puck's mother let someone in, and your breath catches in your throat when Rachel appears in the doorway of Puck's room. He's out, which you know she knows because that week he and all the jocks never shut about the _freakin' awesome party_ they were planning to crash.

You look at each other in silence for a few seconds before you blurt out, "I'm not with him,"

She nods, as if she suspected as much, "I really want to hate you."

Then she's shutting the door behind her and her mouth is on yours, and her kisses are different, desperate. You try to pull back and force out "Rach-" but she almost growls and forces your mouth back on to hers, and all you can do is kiss her back. Her hands scrabble at your clothes and her teeth are on your breast and she usually takes her time, but not now. Then her fingers are inside you and it's probably pregnancy hormones and probably also that _God you miss her_ but you're already halfway there. She thrusts and twists and you moan, and then she's biting your neck and rubbing hard circles around your nipple as you come.

When you get control of your breathing you see tears in her eyes, "Rachel - " you start, but she shakes her head, takes a deep breath to steady herself, "I really want to hate you," she repeats before she leaves.

xxx

It's a month later - you're getting bigger - when you fight with Puck. You're not entirely sure how it starts, something to do with a comment on your "moping". But you yell and scream and you can tell what he really wants to shout is "Why not _me_? Why can't you love _me_?". You almost feel bad, it's not his fault you don't love him. He storms out though, and an hour later, when you're looking dry-eyed out of the window, his mom comes in and says quietly, "Quinn, are you sure this is the best place for you to stay?"

So you pack your things.

xxx

You drive around for hours before you stop at the end of her street. It's dark, your headlights are on though, and you don't have the courage to knock on her door. You leave her a voicemail instead, "Rachel - I, I had to leave Puck's...I don't know what to do...Rach..." Your voice cracks so you hang up.

Fifteen minutes later she opens your car door and takes your hand, she doesn't say anything as she leads you into the warmth of her house, and draws you a bath. When you come out of the bathroom she's made up the guest bed, and left you pajamas there.

xxx

When you can't sleep you sneak into her room, vaguely aware it's probably a bad idea, and sit on the edge of the bed and stroke her hair. She opens her eyes sleepily and says, "I can't believe you did that to me," before rolling over and going back to sleep.

xxx

The next day after school, she's waiting by your car, "I wanted to make sure you came back to my house," she explains curtly, "I think it's the best place for you to stay at the moment."

You look at her, "I'm sorry, Rachel."

She gives a sad smile, "Me too."

xxx

Three days later she's in your car again when you get stuck in traffic on the drive home. The silence is uncomfortable. Finally you say, "I'm keeping her, not...giving her up, or anything." You flex your fingers against the steering wheel, and wonder again if her reason for riding with you is just an excuse to feel close to you. It's probably more hope than wonder though.

She doesn't look at you, just stares out of the passenger window and says, "Okay."

You look fixedly at the cars in front of you. "I want you to be involved in her life."

She turns around sharply then. "Why?"

You give a nervous smile, "Because you're a good person, and with me and Puck as parents...I think she could use a few good people in her life."

xxx

You're trying to do your homework in the guest bedroom that night, although the baby keeps kicking and distracting you, when she comes in. You turn to look at her, and when she doesn't say anything, you stand up.

"Rachel?"

She walks forward slowly and hugs you, burying her face in your chest, and instinctively you wrap your arms around her, and that's when you realise she's crying. You pull her back gently until you're sitting on the bed and she's in your lap, and she gives in completely, and let's out great shuddering sobs until she's exhausted and has no tears left to cry.

You lie her down in your - the guest - bed, and bring her a bottle of water. She sits up to sip at it slowly as you hover above her, unsure what to do.

Eventually you say, "Can we talk?"

She nods, "I'm tired. But tomorrow."

She lies back down and it takes you a minute to realise she wants you to join her. You lie gingerly at the edge of the bed, but she pulls you closer, and presses a kiss to your cheek.

"I don't think you're a bad person," she whispers, as you feel yourself start to fall asleep.

xxx

You don't talk the next day though. If anything she seems more distant. She's polite to you, around the house, but she stops riding home with you. You feel grateful that her dads don't seem to hate you for breaking their daughters heart, and you say as much when one - Rachel's dad, not her daddy, brings you hot chocolate in your room.

You almost cry (hormones) as he sets the mug down in front of you, "Why don't you hate me?" you choke out, "After what I did..."

He smiles a little, "When we found out, I had to put her daddy under house arrest to stop him coming after you with a baseball bat. It was tough to convince him that having a father in prison was probably not what she needed just then."

You give a forced laugh, and he continues, "But you're sixteen. Everyone does stupid things when they're sixteen. Admittedly you raised the bar with this one, but..." he trails off, "I think if you give her time, and show her you're sorry, she'll forgive you."

xxx

Another month passes, your due date is frighteningly close, only a few weeks away now. She's talking to Finn more. You sit at the back in Glee, and see her hand on his wrist, the way he smiles at her. She offers to help him with his solo after practice, and all you can think is when she used to say that to you, she'd have that twinkle in her eye that let you know _work on your solo_ meant _make out in the choir room_.

You collar Mercedes, "Are they dating?" you ask viciously, pointing down at Rachel and Finn. She gives you an odd look, like you have no right to ask that, but answers softly, "I think you broke her heart too good for her to think about anyone that way just yet."

xxx

That Friday, after her dads go out, you hear her let someone in downstairs, and when you hear a voice you know it's him. They watch TV downstairs for a while, and then she says something and they're coming up the stairs, they go into her room and shut the door behind them. You think about how, in the first tentative stages of your relationship, you'd watch TV together downstairs, until she'd say something like, "Would you like to pick a dvd out to watch?" or "My Barbara Streisand collection is rather impressive, if you'd care to see it." and then you'd go up to her room and shut the door behind you.

xxx

After he leaves, you lie back on your bed, staring up at the ceiling and running over the possibilities of the evening in your mind. Finally, you can't take it anymore, and you burst into her bathroom - she hadn't locked the door, probably not expecting anyone to come in.

"Did you sleep with him?" you demand, your eyes blazing.

She's in the bath tub, and when you come in she looks shocked, but her eyes quickly narrow.

"Go away, Quinn." she says.

"No," you almost shout, "Did you - "

"Quinn!" she does shout, and you're shocked into silence, "Wait outside." Your mouth opens and closes, but numbly, you obey.

You're sitting on the edge of her bed when she emerges, wrapped in a robe.

"Quinn." she says, and you look up.

Her voice is low and cold, "No," she says, "I didn't sleep with him. Not that it's any of your business, not that you have any right to burst in on me and demand things from me."

You look down at your hands, feeling the beginning of tears, "I'm sorry." you whisper.

She glares for a few seconds more, but eventually sighs, "I'm so bad at staying angry at you."

Sitting down next to you on the bed, she continues, "I thought...if I could concentrate on someone else, maybe I could get over you. But he kissed me, and all I could think about was you."

The thought of her kissing him makes your fists clench, and you're crying properly then. "Let me fix it." you sob, "Please, Rach. Let me fix it. I miss you so much."

She strokes your hair and soothes you until you stop crying, and then she looks like she doesn't know what to say.

"Quinn...I love you, but...how could I trust you again?"

"Because now I know what it's like not to have you anymore, and I never want to do it again." You stare at your hands again, you're no good at this, emotional stuff.

She nods as if she understands, "Let me think about it, okay?"

xxx

She's still thinking three days later, when you're on your way to Regionals. Your water breaks, and Kurt swerves the car around to a chorus of beeping horns. All the way to the hospital, all you can say is, "Rachel, I need Rachel." Mercedes is holding your hand, "I've called her, Quinn, she didn't pick up. I'll call her again when we get there. Puck is on his way."

You're in a hospital bed panting at another contraction, Puck is stroking your hair roughly when she appears at the door in her Regional's costume. You reach for her and she crosses the room quickly, holding your hand and whispering to you, comforting you in a way Puck never could.

During the birth, she stays with you, and talks to you constantly, the way only Rachel Berry can, _you're doing great baby, I'm so proud of you, keep going, I love you_.

When you hold your daughter for the first time, smiling in wonder at the tiny person in your arms, you look up at her, and there are tears in her eyes.

xxx

When you wake up hours later, she's leaning over the crib next to your bed, smiling down at your daughter.

"What's her name?" she asks softly.

"Beth." you say, "Would you like to hold her?" and she hesitates, but nods. When she's settled in a chair, rocking the baby back and forth, you ask, "You missed Regionals?"

She nods, not looking up. "I still want to take care of you, even though I shouldn't." she repeats her text from all those months ago.

"Well..." you say slowly, "I may have my hands a little full with that one," you nod towards Beth, "But how about you let me try taking care of you for a little while?"

A small smile forms on her face, "I would like that."

She places Beth back in the crib gently, and then she leans forward and kisses you softly.

It won't be easy, you know, it may take her a long time to trust you again, but it's a start. A start you maybe don't deserve, but that you're incredibly grateful for.


End file.
